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A Snapshot of Sexual Harassment In The United States Today

A Snapshot of Sexual Harassment In The United States Today

by Norris Injury Lawyers | June 24th, 2014

Sexual harassment can happen to anyone and at any time, especially in the workplace; however, there have been some major shifts in the types of sexual harassment cases that are being reported in recent years.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that in 2011, there were a total of 11, 364 reports of workplace sexual harassment in the United States. While this was a 36 percent decrease in total number of claims as compared to ten years earlier, there was a steady increase in the number of claims being made during that same time period by males. In 2001, men made only 13.7 percent of sexual harassment claims, whereas in 2011, men made 16.3 percent of claims.

The growing number of men filing claims isn’t the only shift we have seen in sexual harassment claims. The number of incidents involving inappropriate communication through technology has also grown. Most experts will agree that as access to email, cellphones, and file or image sharing outlets has increased, so have the number of complaints regarding sexually inappropriate materials being shared through these outlets. Also on the rise is the amount that is being paid out to sexual harassment victims. In 2011, a total of $52.3 million was given to sexual harassment victims, while only $48.4 million was awarded the previous year.

At Norris Injury Lawyers, our Birmingham personal injury attorneys are here to help if you are being subjected to sexual harassment at your place of employment. Simply give us a call to discuss what we can do for you.